This invention is directed generally to an article handling system of the type for handling articles such as can ends or the like and more particularly to a novel infeed apparatus for receiving a continuous flow of articles to an article handling system and separating the articles into groups of articles of a predetermined length for subsequent handling in the system.
While the invention may find other uses, the invention will be particularly described in connection with an article handling system of the type generally shown and described in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,870 which is commonly owned herewith. In this prior patent there is illustrated and described an automatic tray loading, unloading and storage system for loading articles from a first location into trays and for thereafter unloading the articles from the trays for transport to a second location. This system compensates for differences between the rate of supply of articles from the first location and the rate of demand for articles at the second location, in that articles can either be stored in the trays or removed from the trays as necessary to compensate for the differences in these two rates.
An infeed apparatus generally comprises multiple infeed lanes for simultaneously feeding a continuous flow of articles into an input portion or tray loading station of this article handling system. In order to load the articles into trays, it is necessary that the incoming essentially continuous flow of articles be separated into individual groups of articles, each of a predetermined length, such that these groups of articles may be individually loaded into tray. While the above mentioned patent illustrates and describes one infeed system for accomplishing this end, there remains room for improvement.
As more fully described in the above-mentioned U.S. patent such article handling systems find particular utility in the manufacture of containers such as beverage cans or the like, wherein a great number of can end parts are required. In the filling and closure of beverage containers as well as other containers for food, petroleum products, or the like, it is necessary to assemble the end parts of the cans or containers with the body parts thereof. Accordingly, apparatus have heretofore been devised for fabricating and thereafter handling, stacking, packaging and unpackaging can ends both during their manufacture and for further processing both prior to and up to their final assembly with can bodies in the filling and closure operation. Groups of can ends of a given length are normally packaged in kraft paper bags for handling and transport between their fabrication and use. Prior to use, the packaging is removed. The article handling system of the above-mentioned patent is particularly useful for compensating for differences in the flow of can ends between various stations in the can end fabrication operation. Generally speaking this operation includes a number of stages, including shell presses for initial formation of the can ends, a station for applying some protective lining materials or substances especially for use in some beverage and food applications, and a station for the fitting of pull rings or the like to tear-away openings of the type used in many beverage and food container applications.
Accordingly, a modern can end fabrication operation requires that large numbers of these can ends be handled and transported from one station to the next in their fabrication process up to and including packaging for delivery to the filling and closure operation. These operations require that the can ends be transported from one station to the next in a continuous process and in relatively high volume.
One problem which arises in the handling of such can ends is the maintaining of the can ends in a facewise nested or stacked condition for maximum efficiency of transport between the various parts of the fabrication operation described above and also for maximum efficiency in packaging and subsequent handling up to and including handling by the end user. However, the graspable tabs or rings provided in association with the tear-away top portion of such can ends may cause the ends to tilt or cant somewhat during handling. Should the ends spread apart somewhat during handling it is possible that one or more of the can end members may tilt or cant out of alignment or even come loose completely from the remaining members in an otherwise continuous flow or nested group or stack. Such tilting and disruption of a continuous flow or nested stacks of ends during handling can delay the operation or even cause damage and require shut down of equipment and attendant delay which can be quite costly, given the rapid pace and high efficiency generally required of such operations.
Advantageously, the novel and improved infeed apparatus of the present invention addresses the foregoing problems and considerations in the handling of can ends. In particular, the invention facilitates the process of separating can ends into individual groups of a predetermined length from an incoming, more-or-less continuous flow of can ends and delivering these groups to an infeed station or portion of an article handling apparatus, which may be of a general type illustrated and described in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,870. It will be appreciated, however, that the infeed apparatus of the invention may find utility in connection with other article handling systems or other apparatus without departing from the invention.